Source For Sports London : Your Source For All Sports


	Return home		Quality Products Versus No Name As a consumer, you have undoubtedly seen ads for Product X stating, "we're as good as the number one name brand name product". Of course if this was really the true, they wouldn't need to advertise and try to convince you of this.....THEY would be number one. We find it quite humorous that some of our competition tries to dupe their potential customers with the no name products they peddle by claiming it is as good as the nationally recognized industry leaders' in the sporting goods markets. We receive many calls from customers that have purchased these "good as" products, believing the salesman's stories and hype, only to realize that the product was in fact a poor imitation. (One look at our used section will convince anyone - people soon "dump" these impostor products in favor of the proven names). We urge all potential buyers of hockey, and in particular, goalie equipment to beware of these "rip-off copies". Source For Sports London believes in selling only top products and supports only those professional manufacturers that strive for customer service and build top-notch products. In the past couple of years, several unknown "pirate" companies have entered into the hockey and, most notably, goalie markets. The majority of these companies have no consideration for the consumer and are simply out to make a quick buck by ripping off designs (from the legitimate manufacturers that re-invest profits into research and development), and building inferior copies of the real thing. Several of our competitors have embraced these pirate companies and some now even have them build their own branded line of "rip-off" products. These stores are looking to do one thing - turn a quick profit by deceiving the customer into believing what they are selling is as good as the name brands. We, at Source For Sports London, refuse to be a party to this type of business practice. We continue to support only those companies that stand behind their products and will be here tomorrow to do so - the companies that re-invest into research and development and strive for customer satisfaction. We are very pleased and proud to represent the professional companies listed in our Buyer's Guide as the chosen authorized dealer of their products. When you hear "it's just like", or "it's the same as", or our favourite, "it's better than", or the price just seems too good to be true, listen to that little voice in your head, saying "they must be lying". Our Customers Tell It Like It Is "I recently took pocession of my new MCM Phantom II pads. I feel the need to e-mail you in appreciation of the terrific support your staff provided me in selecting this particular item. I think I bent the ears off at least two of your sales people trying to decide on which pad to get, and they never made it feel that I needed to place an order and get it over with. I especially appreciated the super quick turn around on my order, I think I got the pads in less than 3 weeks, from the date of order. I am very impressed with the level of quality that these pads have in comparison to other top of the line pads that I was considering.. I think what clinched the deal for me was that I could get the pads with 2" added to the thigh rise, a feature that one of your competitors (store name deleted to avoid embarrassment) couldn't offer me, even on his top flight pad. Speaking of (store name deleted to avoid embarrassment), I have purchased numerous items from him in the past. I have gotten tired not being able to get replacement parts or even the same piece of equipment once the first piece wore out. I get the excuse that the company no longer makes it, or that they are out of business, only to find out from another store that they had them stocked to the roof. It may be just my opinion, but his "store brand" stuff seems to wear out pretty quick, and I don't play against 90 mph slapshots anymore. Needless to say, with your combination of service, knowledge, and lower than most prices, (especially for US residents), I will never buy from (store name deleted to avoid embarrassment) again." Sincerely, Greg. New vs. Used There are a number of used equipment shops opening up. We, at Source for Sports London have chosen to avoid this market for the following reasons: Much of the used equipment being sold is unsafe. The plastics used in shoulder pads, shin pads, elbow pads, and even pants may weaken with age and constant use. Many of the plastic parts in used equipment have fatigue cracks and will split or break apart with a solid impact. Much of this type of wear is undetectable to the human eye. Hockey equipment gets dirty and smelly. Purchasing someone else's used equipment means you will be subjecting yourself to whatever bacteria and potentially contagious germs that have found a home in their used gear. Used equipment is simply not that good of a deal in most cases. You can usually purchase an entry level product at about the same price as a used piece. By purchasing a new product, you will be able to know exactly what you are getting without any surprises. New products also carry manufacturers' warranties and we stand behind what we sell. Used products are, at best, a "crap shoot". We are of the opinion that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE SHOULD PURCHASE A USED HELMET OR FACE MASK! This piece of equipment protects the brain and improperly maintained head gear can lead to grave results. Helmets and masks withstand a lot of abuse and can easily crack open upon impact. Do you know that helmet manufacturers recommend replacing your helmet every three years for optimum protection? When purchasing a used helmet. it is impossible to know its history. There are of course, a few legitimately good deals on the used market, but we strongly suggest that you consider all of the pros and cons first.